BLWers, what do you think about spoons?

[TaurielTest]

Not a "how much of a purist are you" thread really, just interested to know others' feelings.
DS (8m) has been doing BLW for a couple of months. Recently we stayed with my parents for a week and, having said "no no, don't buy anything special, he'll have what we're having", found ourselves confronted with a lot of un-fingery foods! Custard, porridge, soup, that sort of thing. My dad (who loves the idea of BLW once I told him about it) shrugged, said "Man is a tool-using animal" and found me a little egg-spoon. So I loaded it up and held it where he could reach it, without waving it in front of his face. He's gone for it with gusto, and it's really opened up possibilites for feeding him a wider range of things.
For my interpretation of BLW, I think this is fine - I'm not trying to persuade him to take it, I'm not going "just one more", and it's not going in his mouth.
So, am I cheating?

We did something similar, and would load up a spoon for dd and she would then take it and either put it in her mouth or drop it on the floor/her lap/my lap... We did not do it for long tbh we found if we just left the spoon in the bowl for her she soon learnt how to use it herself, and it is quite impressive how much they can scoop up with their fingers and suck off anyway!

DD (10 months) has always had yogurt from a spoon but otherwise everything else is totally baby led. She's learning to use a spoon herself now though and has always insisted on putting her whole fist into the yogurt pot while I'm spooning it in. I guess strictly speaking it's cheating but she's a fabulous, confident, independent eater which was what I was hoping for.

if they're using it themselves then they're still making the decisions. DD2 was an expert spoon user very early on because of this. I don't think it's cheating, imo it fits in well with the whole ethos, i.e. them deciding what and how to eat.

following my near heart attack the other night after DS choked on a bit of carrot (he's 6 months, only just started) I have freaked out and started putting weetbix, yogurt etc on a spoon in front of his face so if he wants it, he can get it, if not then fine.

He ate nearly a whole weetabix this way last night, which has me wondering if he's hungry for more than he can get in alone, IYSWIM?

I load spoons for DS. He has yoghurt, custard, rice pudding and lots of Oatibix.
For the sticky, sticky Oatibix I pile it up and pop the spoon in front of him to pick up.
For the runnier stuff I hold the spoon out at a good angle and he takes it from me.
Scrambled eggs does not stay on the spoon.